Bhubaneswar: A consumer court in Odisha’s Sambalpur slapped a fine of nearly Rs 80 lakh on a private nursing home and two doctors for an alleged botched up treatment of a patient, which left him physically challenged and also cost his job.
According to sources, Sumit Dash of Modipara in Sambalpur was admitted to VIMSAR Hospital in Burla after he sustained multiple fractures in his his right leg, foot, and right hand in an accident on the night of November 8, 2017. The attending orthopaedic Suraj Jain allegedly advised his family to shift him to a private hospital for surgery, saying that it would be delayed by four days at VIMSAR.
Dash, who was a software engineer, was operated by Dr Sanjay Bhoi at Sambalpur-based private nursing home. The surgery reportedly cost around Rs 1.26 lakh and went on for 12 days.
“The surgeons fixed stainless steel implants for the fractured bone (connecting knee & ankle) despite the victim insisting for titanium implant, which led to infection and was not managed properly, because of which he was unable to go to work, and subsequently lost his job, seniority and earnings,” Dash’s lawyer Prem Prakash Panigrahy told the media.
During his period, he was unable to take up an offer from Infosys due to his ailing condition.
When his health condition worsened and he had to bear unbearable pain, the victim consulted another doctor who confirmed that the infection was due to the stainless steel implant. After allegedly being turned away by Dr Jain with some excuses, Dash was taken to a private hospital in Visakhapatnam, where he is still under treatment.
The court has directed the doctors to pay Rs 2.41 lakh towards medical expenses and Rs 16 lakh towards loss of earnings. The doctors, jointly along with the nursing home, are liable to pay a compensation of Rs 20 lakh each to the victim and in case of non-payment within one month of the court’s order, they are liable to pay interest @12% at 12% per annum from the date of filing till realization.
Meanwhile, Narasingha Mishra, the lawyer of the private hospital’s owner, informed that they will move the Odisha State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission against the ruling. “The case was referred to the nursing home and treatment was provided as per the advise of Dr Jain, ” he said.
